Morningstar Series 5: Missouri
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to REUNION. When Missouri enters Papa Midnight's to talk to Chloe, the blonde doesn't know what to expect from the woman, but she never would have thought that she might just need to hear what the woman had to say.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville/Constantine/Supernatural**

Sequel to "Reunion".

Written for my Paranormal25 150 Prompt Tale. Prompt of the Day # 13: Medium.

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"An angel and a demon enter a bar. That's like the beginning of a very bad joke."

Chloe froze from where she was wiping the bar counter, lifting her eyes upon the woman who'd entered. "_Missouri_."

"I'm sorry, Miss Sullivan." Carl hurried in after the African American woman standing before her in the empty club. "I tried to tell her we were closed for the night, but, uh, she's kinda scary."

"It's okay." Chloe did her best to blank her mind round the psychic, not trusting even _one_ thought to be read. "I can handle this."

Carl nodded, sending Missouri a quick glance before hurrying back to the front.

Chloe lowered her gaze and returned to what she'd been doing. "Funny, you never looked like the clubbing type."

"And you never seemed the cowardly kind." Missouri responded. "Look at me, girl, when you talk to me. You have better manners than this."

Taking in a deep breath, the blonde stopped cleaning the counter and looked up into those brown eyes. "What do you _want_, Missouri?"

"A hello would be nice."

Chloe closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before opening them once more. "_Hello_." She opened her eyes and narrowed them. "_Now_ what do you want?"

Instead of answering Missouri took the time to look around the empty club, the disapproval obvious on her face as she raised an eyebrow. "You used to fight demons, and now you serve them tequilas."

"Actually, tequilas are more of an angel beverage. Demons like vodka and rum. Straight." Chloe responded, leaning over the counter. "And as for your other comment, that was never me. It was Lumiel all along. I didn't choose to be a Vessel. I didn't choose to fight. I didn't choose to start the Apocalypse. I didn't choose to go to hell. And I didn't choose to get pulled out." Her eyes were hard. "Working here is the first choice I have been able to make since I turned sixteen years old and those motherfucks drove me insane trying to possess me."

Missouri sighed, coming closer and sitting up on one of the stools. "I'm sorry that my powers failed me and I couldn't tell that you weren't you, and when you were."

Somewhat surprised at the turn in conversation, Chloe faltered, gazing at the medium. "Why are you here, Missouri?"

"Because Bobby's worried about you, and so is Lois." Missouri responded. "And child, to tell you the truth, so am I."

Chloe snorted. "I don't _need_ your kind of worry. When I do, I'll just ask the nearest angel to _ghost_ me themselves and save you and your friends the trouble."

She didn't see it coming, her face reeling to the side, her cheek burning from the force of the slap.

"Now listen to me young lady and you listen good." Missouri narrowed her eyes. "You were a victim in this, we all know that. And I can't even _imagine_ what hell was like, but you weren't the only victim in this situation. You were _not_ the only one who suffered!"

"Oh, yeah, a little guilty conscience is _such_ a terrible thing." Chloe pulled away, hand to her cheek. "Get out before I kill you."

"You're not going to kill me." Missouri's eyes narrowed as she stood once more.

"If you keep annoying me I will." Chloe swore.

"No, you won't." Missouri raised her chin. "It's for the same reason why you didn't kill John Winchester or Bobby. And its also the same reason you didn't kill Lois."

"You damned medium." Chloe sneered, shaking her head. "Just because you can read minds doesn't mean you know anything about me."

"I know that you were hurt. I know that you were _scared_. I know that you were trapped in your own skin and we couldn't see it!" Missouri snapped. "I know that you went to hell for crimes you didn't commit and you suffered there and it twisted you and killed something inside of you. I know you look at the person you are now and you _hate_ yourself and you hate _us_ for our parts in making you who you are today."

Chloe looked away, trying to keep her face hard, but her eyes were prickling.

"I know you trusted us, you trusted your cousin, and we all let you down." Missouri's voice softened with regret. "But Chloe, you _know_ it had to be done."

Chloe turned to her, eyes angry and glistening from unshed tears, but she stayed quiet because she couldn't trust her voice not to shake with the emotion boiling up inside of her.

"Deep down inside you, Chloe, you _know_ that if you had lived the world would have died, and everything beautiful with it." MIssouri whispered. "And its what makes you angriest, because you can _understand_ why they did it. You can't completely hate them because you _understand_ and it pisses you off because they betrayed you and you can't even be fully invested in what you feel is your _right_ to feel."

"Stop it." Chloe's voice wavered slightly as she said that, the blonde clearing her suddenly tight throat. "I don't want to hear this."

"But you _need_ to, girl." Missouri pressed. "Because you might be physically out of hell, but in your mind and in your heart, you're still there."

Chloe's vision blurred with her unshed tears, and she couldn't keep one from making its way down her cheek.

"The demons don't need to break you, every day you break yourself over and over again." Missouri whispered, sadness and compassion both in her eyes and in her tone. "It's not _healthy_."

"Why do _you_ care?" Chloe whispered. "I'm just Lumiel's old Vessel. Everyone _cheered_ when I died." Her voice broke and the tears were falling freely. "I was in _agony_ for two hundred _years_ and my _cousin_ did that to me! And the two men I thought I_ loved_, who I thought loved _me_, what did they do? One tried to kill me and the other cheered him on!"

"Dean fought accepting Michael until the children were killed." Missouri sat down. "He fought it with every fiber of his being because he didn't want you to die. He let thousands of people die, because he _loves_ you. But the children's deaths struck him so hard. They-they were so _innocent._"

Chloe looked away.

"And Sam?" Missouri sighed. "Even when Michael took over Dean's body he hated the angel. He hated him with his whole soul."

Chloe still refused to look at the woman.

"Chloe, you _weren't_ the only victim that day." Missouri's voice broke with emotion.

Shocked at the sound, Chloe turned towards the pretty dark woman.

"Do you think we celebrated? Truly?" Missouri asked, a lone tear making its way down her cheek. "Do you _really_ think Lois laughed? Cheered? Chloe she _broke down_. She wouldn't leave her room at Bobby's for _weeks_. She barely ate. Didn't sleep. She tried to _kill_ herself."

"_What_?" Chloe whispered.

"We barely got her to the E.R. on time." Missouri sniffled, taking in a deep breath. "And the boys, the boys." Her gaze lowered. "I've never seen them like that before. _Never_. They two days after you died. And after Lois was patched up in the E.R. she left too." Missouri shook her head. "John had a big fight with all them. He couldn't understand what they were going through. He's-he's a hunter through and through and to him you were the devil and they killed you. He felt it was for the best and everyone needed to move on. Lois, Sam, and Dean didn't appreciate that way of thinking."

Chloe wiped at her tears, sniffling.

"Honey, I _know_ you suffered and I wish to _God_ that there could have been another way. But there wasn't any other chance and you _know_ _it._" Missouri reached over and clasped Chloe's hand in hers, squeezing tightly. "You need to learn to let go of it now. To let go of the hurt and the anger, because you've been given an _amazing_ gift that _no one else_ in this world can boast of. You were given a second chance, but baby, you're alive...but not living."

Chloe's gaze fell to their joined hands, tears continuing to fall.

"I'm not asking you to forget everything and come back with me. I'm not asking you to leave the life you have here or your job." Missouri whispered. "I'm not even asking you to talk to me ever again after I walk out of that door. All I'm asking is for you to let go of the past, of the hurt, and embrace the future, the now. You need to make peace with it if you're going to live this life."

Chloe took in a deep breath. "I can't."

"Why not?" The medium whispered.

"Because I don't know _how_ to live without this anger." Chloe looked up at her, not even trying to stop the tears anymore. "If I'm not angry, if I don't have that fury fueling me, I have no reason to live." She felt her body shaking. "The only thing that got me through hell was the thought of revenge, and the only thing that gets me through my days here is the thought of waking up another day and screwing with everyone's plans when they sent me to hell." She bit her bottom lip. "If I let go of that..._what do I have_?"

"Something _better_." Missouri promised, squeezing her hand once more before letting go. "If you wish to ever speak, you know Bobby's and my number."

"You two finally stop dancing around each other?" Chloe couldn't help but ask, wiping at her tears.

Missouri smiled. "I might have given him a break."

Chloe shook her head, laughing softly. "Always knew it would happen."

"Bobby tried to reason with John, but ever since Lois and the boys left he's been-like a different person. In the end Bobby left him." Missouri admitted. "Be careful, I see John in your future."

"He's keeping an eye on me." Chloe shook her head. "I _know_ he's in my future."

"I know who _else_ is in your future." Missouri prompted.

The blonde frowned. "Missouri..."

"They don't know about you being back yet." The medium and psychic admitted.

"Keep it that way." Chloe nearly begged. "I can't see them. I just _can't_."

"No, you're right." Missouri nodded. "For now you can't. But one day you will be strong enough and healed enough."

"No, not-not for things to be what they were." Chloe shook her head.

Missouri just smiled knowingly at her.

Sensing movement, Chloe looked up as Castiel entered the front, trench coat billowing behind him.

He stopped when he saw Missouri. "I am sorry, I did not know you were with company."

Chloe smiled, like she always did when she saw her personal probation officer. "No, you're not interrupting."

Missouri frowned slightly as she looked between Chloe and Castiel.

"Missouri, this is Castiel, Angel of the Lord." She grinned brightly, chuckling as she always did, when she said his title.

Missouri blinked in surprise. "You're friends with Angels?"

"Only one." Chloe admitted. "Cas, meet Missouri Moseley. She...she's an old friend."

Missouri sent her a small smile.

Castiel nodded to Missouri before turning to Chloe. "I need to speak to you. It is of the outmost urgency that we convene in another place where no other ear can hear."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "What is it Cas? What's wrong?"

Cas' gaze turned to Missouri.

"I'm leaving anyway. I said what I had to." Missouri nodded. "Take care, Chloe, and please think about what I said."

The blonde nodded. "I will."

She watched Missouri leave, and when the woman was gone, she turned to Castiel. "What is it?"

He was eyeing her oddly, frown on his face. "Why is your face wet?"

She blinked, wiping her face. "I was crying."

"Crying." He echoed. "I know of this. Humans do it when they are...sad...do they not?"

"I'm not exactly human." She scoffed, wiping her hands on her jeans.

He tilted his head to the side, still frowning, still eyeing her. "Why were you sad?"

"Because...because it hurt a lot to see her, and hear what she had to say." Chloe admitted, pouring herself a drink.

"I thought you said the human was your friend." Castiel blinked in confusion.

"It's complicated." Chloe sighed.

"Humanity always is." Castiel sighed as well, obviously not getting it.

Chloe couldn't help but smile at him as she held her drink. "So, about this urgent matter?"

Castiel nodded, straightening. "I have just learnt that the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was delivered to the safe house."

Chloe nodded. "Turns out Lilith _couldn't_ pay more than the hunters."

"She will not be happy." Castiel took in a deep breath. "She will retaliate against Midnight."

"I figured as much." Chloe admitted. "But what does that have to do with me? What Midnight does with his business is no concern of mine. All I do is mix and serve drinks...and flirt with the customers."

"You are the Morning Star, you are more than a mixer or server...or flirter."

"You jealous?" Chloe grinned, gazing him up and down.

Castiel blinked. "Jealous? That is another human emotion is it not? Like sadness?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, despaired. "Really Castiel, doesn't your Vessel explain _anything_ to you?"

Castiel frowned. "This is an empty Vessel."

Chloe's eyes widened. "_Huh_? I thought angels needed _permission_ to enter bodies?"

Castiel nodded. "Jimmy was a godly man dying of cancer. Before he died he prayed to be able to make a difference, and I came to him, and he accepted me right before he passed away."

"Oh." Chloe blinked.

"I would not have felt it right, entering a Vessel that already had a soul inside." Castiel added in his frank way. "They might be humans, and we might be doing our Father's work, but I do not feel it should give us the right to take over the human's body and leave them trapped in it." He frowned, looking at Chloe. "How does that make us any different from demons? Of course, there is the matter of consensus involved in Angel possession, but I still feel that it is wrong to control an occupied Vessel."

And looking back, Chloe admitted that that was the moment she started falling in love with Castiel, Angel of the Lord.

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